


Time Loops of Sevenwaters

by TheImaginatrix



Category: Sevenwaters Trilogy - Juliet Marillier
Genre: Other, The Infinite Loops, infinite loops, sfw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:47:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22330546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheImaginatrix/pseuds/TheImaginatrix
Summary: "The Admins must have looked very hard to find you."Of all the Sevenwaters cast, Conri was the only one suitable to Anchor their Branch of Yggdrasil. He gets used to time repeating endlessly after a while, but once the Fusions start, he realises this is a lot bigger than just him, or even just his world. Being responsible for your world continuing to exist is both easier and harder than it sounds.Part of theInfinite Loops Projecthosted mainly on the Spacebattles forum.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. Loops 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conri starts reliving his entire life story and adjusts pretty well. Includes Fused Loops with Harry Potter, the Spellsinger Chronicles and Naruto (offscreen but powers shown).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is something I've been tinkering with on and off for several years. I do intend to keep it going for a while, though as I'm the only writer and I have a lot of other projects I wish to work on, updates might be sporadic.
> 
> This is partly because I love the Infinite Loops and wanna play in that sandbox with some fandoms I know, and partly to try and jumpstart some love for this fandom in particular. I don't intend on adding other fandoms here, as most other fandoms featured are only briefly present and I'd rather not confuse people in those fandoms by sticking a fic like this in their category.
> 
> If anyone can think of tags I should add to this, let me know, as I'd like to tag my works as thoroughly as possible.
> 
> Brief explanation on what the Infinite Loops actually are, for the sake of the few Sevenwaters fans potentially disappointed by this random collection of what at first glance might be taken for short ficlets:
> 
> The Loops are basically a crossover between _Ah! My Goddess_ and everything else. Yggdrasil, the Tree-Computer, has broken, and to stop the multiverse from being destroyed, all the worlds were placed in time loops.
> 
> Below is a passage copy-pasted into every Loop compilation and forum thread in the project, and explains the basic mechanics.
> 
> One person in a Loop, often the main character, is an Anchor. They are the person who first starts time looping.  
> There is always at least one Anchor present in a given Time Loop snippet, though it may not be the local one.  
> The standard pattern for a loop is that the Anchor (and whoever else is Looping there) come to awareness in a loop at a particular point in the story. From there, events will play out as influenced by the Loopers present, acting with the benefit of their foreknowledge, until either a predetermined end point is reached or all the Loopers have copped it.  
> To be Awake is to be aware of the time loops (that is, to have gone back in time _this_ time.)  
> The Anchor is the only character guaranteed to be Awake. Even after others have started looping, it is mostly random as to whether they will be Awake this particular loop.  
> Crossovers, fusions, and alternate pasts can also take place. It is perfectly possible, for example, to have the characters Awaken into a loop which conforms to a fanfic universe rather than reality.  
> Loops do not have to be in chronological order, but it is strongly preferred that they not require a mutually contradictory order (where A must be before B and B must be before A.)  
> Just about every Looper is very, very stir crazy.
> 
> The maintenance of the damaged Tree-Computer is overseen by the gods of pretty much every real-world pantheon there is, and most of these gods are responsible for one or more Looping worlds. They are collectively known as _Admins,_ and I've already chosen the one for SEvenwaters. She'll show up next chapter.
> 
> Any other questions will hopefully be answered in the fic itself. I hope you enjoy!

## 1.1

  
The first time he found himself back in the forest near the village where he had grown up, he had thought he was going mad. He had done everything the same, except for Lóch. He had kept his distance from her for her own sake.  
The second time, He began to suspect something was wrong. It didn't help that his face looked different in the waters of the lake than it had before. This time, he had followed Ciarán to the Nemetons as soon as the _geis_ had fallen. He knew it could be broken, after all.  
The third time, he wondered what he was doing wrong. Why was this happening to him? Were the gods displeased with him for some reason? He had made sure the Islands were saved—what more did they want from him?  
The fourth time, he had had enough. If doing the same thing over and over didn't stop things from repeating, he was going to make as much of a difference as he could.

* * *

"Who exactly _are_ you?" Colum asked carefully.  
"Ciarán's half-brother," Conri responded. "She said his father was from here. I'm probably going to end up in trouble but I don't care. He needs family that will care about him, not strangers."  
"Are you sure we can trust him?" Diarmid demanded. "He's _her_ son."  
Conri sighed.  
"I don't have magic. Not like what Mother wanted from her child. I couldn't harm you even if I wanted to, which I don't. I just like to sing and play my music. And I like having a little brother, but I don't want her to hurt him." It was the truth. He had had enough of letting Ciarán be abused by their mother just so he could grow up the same.  
"Won't she track you here?" Cormack asked.  
Conri smiled wanly.  
"She doesn't know I know where Sevenwaters is, and you defeated her once. She won't want to come back here again for a while. He should be taken somewhere protected, though."  
Colum held his tiny son very close. It was clear he had not yet fully recovered from his time in Oonagh's power, but seeing the child he had thought lost had brought a light back into his eyes.  
"You are right," he murmured. "My son is too vulnerable here, where she could come and snatch him away again. We will make arrangements to send him to the druids. Conor will join their number soon enough, I'm sure. It will cost me to be parted from him again, but I would much rather he be safe from harm, wherever he must go."

* * *

"You are walking a dangerous path."  
Conri jumped at the sound of the voice, turning to face Finbar. He had not even heard him approach.  
"What do you mean?" he asked. He respected Finbar. His gift was potent and those clear eyes saw far too much sometimes.  
"The path you follow has the potential to end in tragedy, not just for yourself, but for many others. Our continued existence hinges upon your choices. I see too many possible futures cut off prematurely, all from one misstep." The clear eyes were intent, and Conri could see the wildness in them, the mark of his mother's curse that clung to him still. The swan's wing twitched. "You know more than you are telling," Finbar murmured. "Use that knowledge wisely."  
He turned away without saying another word, and slipped into the shadows, leaving Conri uncomfortably aware he had just gotten a warning, and not knowing what to do with it.

* * *

## 1.2

  
The repetitions continued, and through trial and error, Conri learned what he could and could not change. It only took one bad experience for him to realise that if he wanted things to go smoothly, Fainne _had_ to be born, which meant _Ciarán_ had to be born. This also meant Sorcha and Red _had_ to get married when they did and conceive Niamh when they did. Other than that, he could change most anything without something going terribly wrong.  
He also noticed some oddities about the repetitions as they continued. Sometimes, things would be subtly different. Once, Padriac had gotten the swan's wing instead of Finbar. There had been no Aisha to break the _geis_ that time. Another time, Sorcha and Finbar had been born as twins. And Conri's own face never looked the same two repetitions in a row. He had possessed every hair and eye colour imaginable, and his features had been arranged in many different ways. He always bore some resemblance to his mother, whether it be as slight as eye shape and set of the jaw or as strong as looking like a male version of her.  
Then came the time he awoke in the usual place, and discovered he was now a she. That was the first time he had cause to notice the foreign set of memories he suddenly possessed. He was apparently called _Cliodhna_ , of all things, but little else seemed to be different.  
It was not until his mother returned from Sevenwaters with a second daughter that she realised there had been others affected by this singularly bizarre change. Not everyone, as her mother was still her mother, but the presence of Ciara made things rather interesting. She hoped Niamh had been one of the others thus impacted, or she would witness things going pear-shaped yet again.

* * *

## 1.3 (Harry Potter)

  
One of Hermione’s start-of-loop habits was to search the train for unfamiliar faces. The ping was not always reliable, especially when there were new loopers involved who did not know how to ping back. She had long since lost count of how many loops she had performed this routine check, but the number of loopers she had encountered who needed the “Talk” had been very few. Most had greeted her by name and with more than enough knowledge of how her loop worked to be getting on with. Even relatively new loopers knew about Harry’s loop. Sometimes she regretted being from one of the first seven activated worlds. If she was not looked on with extreme admiration, the old stories of the early millennia would inevitably rear their heads.  
It was as she was doing her rounds, using the search for Neville’s toad as a cover-story, that she came across a nearly empty compartment with a boy sitting alone in the far corner, gazing out of the window. She had never seen him before.  
She adopted a friendly tone as she stepped into the compartment (her bossiness rarely showed itself anymore unless she was not awake).  
“Hello. I was wondering if you’d seen a toad anywhere. One of my friends lost it.”  
The boy turned strange mulberry-coloured eyes on her.  
“I’m afraid I haven’t,” he said quietly. His accent was Irish, slightly stronger than even Seamus’s.  
“What’s your name?” she asked, barely containing her excitement. He was definitely a new looper, almost certainly awake, and he had no idea who she was. That much was plain.  
“Conri,” he said, still quiet.  
The name rang a bell in her mind, but there was so much knowledge there these days that she could not place it at once.  
Drawing her wand, she cast a quick message patronus to Harry and the other Loopers, who were gathered in their Anchor’s usual compartment, explaining where she would be, then closed the door after her and sat down opposite the boy.  
“I’m Hermione Granger,” she introduced. “This may sound strange, but have you been reliving the same series of events over and over?”  
The boy stared at her.  
“How did you know?”  
“Because it’s happened to me too,” she responded. “It’s rather a long story. We only have about six hours until the train arrives in Hogsmeade, so I’ll give you the basics for now. We can exchange stories later.”

* * *

Conri was still processing what Hermione had told him as the train began to slow down. After explaining that his world and hers were two among many who were “looping”, as she called it, and why it was happening, he had had more questions than she could answer in the time they had. She had asked a few of her own, mostly about himself and his story. His answers had caused her to frown ever more deeply, though he couldn’t fathom why.  
“You should change,” Hermione said at last. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”  
She left him alone to change into his robes, and he did so with more than a little excitement. She had told him enough about this world for him to know he was in for an interesting few years, and that he would likely retain the magic he had gained by looping in here. As he left the train to join the other First-Years around the giant man, Hagrid, his one thought was where he would be placed when he arrived at the castle.

* * *

Later that night, Conri found himself sitting alone in the starry common-room of Ravenclaw Tower. He wasn’t sure whether or not he should consider the hat’s decision ironic or flattering. He had never considered himself that intelligent, but his memory had always been good and his aptitude for composing was remarkable, even if fey heritage had something to do with it.  
He was engrossed in one of the books kept in the common-room when a streak of silver shot in through the open window nearest him, solidifying into a sleek otter which spoke in Hermione’s voice.  
“ _I know where you’re from. Will explain tomorrow._ ”

* * *

“I knew I’d heard your name before,” Hermione said the following afternoon, after taking Conri out to a quiet spot on the shore of the black lake. “I was thinking about it during our conversation on the train but it only clicked when you mentioned your brother.”  
“Ciarán?” Conri asked in surprise.  
“Exactly.” Hermione seemed to produce a stack of thick books from thin air. “In the Baseline, I charmed my parents so that they would want to go to Australia,” she explained. “Yggdrasil likes sending me to Australia when I loop into the Hub—you remember what the Hub is, right?”  
Conri nodded.  
“The place where all the universes are … backupped?”  
Hermione giggled.  
“Close enough. You really don’t have any experience with computers, do you?”  
“Not really, no. I only know what my memories can tell me.”  
“We’ll definitely have to do something about that,” Hermione said firmly before continuing with her explanation. “So one loop, I spent about fifty years in Australia, and I was bored, so I went to a bookstore and bought some Australian fantasy—or what they _think_ is fantasy, but I digress. I found _these._ ” She gestured toward the books piled in front of her.  
Conri picked one up and examined it.  
“ _Daughter of the Forest,_ ” he murmured. “Isn’t that what the Fair Folk called—“  
“Sorcha, yes,” Hermione said, nodding excitedly. “I bought the first three books on the same day. Apparently the author didn’t initially plan on writing any more, but eventually she started releasing more books. The non-loopers believed she was responding to her fans’ demand, but I knew what that really meant.”  
“Which is…” Conri prompted. Half of what Hermione had said wouldn’t have made much sense to him without his Loop Memories.  
“The admins didn’t find all the data about your world at once,” Hermione said. “They didn’t even find out who you were until just before the fifth book in the series was released in the hub.” She produced another thick volume. “I bought this one so I could sample some authors I hadn’t heard of before. I found _this_ inside.” She flipped to a certain page and handed the book to Conri. “Read that.”  
Conri did. His eyes widened by degrees. He was not sure how unnerved the accuracy of the words in the book made him, but if he had had any doubts regarding Hermione’s tale of tree-computers and broken realities, they were banished by this tangible proof.  
“This is my story,” he said weakly after reading a dozen pages or so.  
“I know,” Hermione said, her face serious. “I’m sorry about what happened to you in your Baseline. That must have been terrible.”  
Conri opened his mouth to say “if you only knew”, but realised this book had told her already, in his words. That was the most unsettling part of all this.  
“So,” he said at last, “I’m the Anchor of Sevenwaters.”  
“It certainly looks that way,” Hermione said, frowning slightly. “The admins must have looked very hard to find you.”  
“What do you mean?” Conri asked.  
“Well, if these books are a back-up of your loop, then you’re the only person to live through the entire series. Sorcha narrated the first book, but she died in the second. Everyone else of importance was born after the first book ended, or died before the end of the first trilogy. Ciarán was born early in the first book but even that means he’s not qualified to be an Anchor. And then they found you.”  
“And then they found me,” Conri murmured, feeling the weight of the responsibility he had only just learned he possessed crashing in on him. He was the reason his Loop could become active. In this long story, he played only a minor role, though an important one. Now he was, in a way, the centre of his world. The idea was both daunting and humbling.  
Hermione broke the silence at last.  
“Well,” she said, “we have seven years. That’s plenty of time to teach you a few useful skills. You also need to learn about the dangers of the loops before you’re confronted with any of them.”  
“Dangers?” Conri asked, suddenly alert.  
“I’ll get to that,” Hermione promised. “Meet me on the seventh floor at six.”  
“Where? I’ve only been here a day and I got lost coming down to breakfast.”  
Hermione sighed.  
“I’ll meet you after dinner and show you the way. I’ll have to ask Harry to give you one of his spare Maps.”  
Conri did not understand the significance of that last word at the time, but he would soon learn that the map she had spoken of was no ordinary one.

* * *

Conri sighed.  
“My animagus form _had_ to be a raven.”  
“Look on the bright side,” Hermione said. “At least you won’t have to adjust to it. Besides, Ravens can learn to mimic speech.”  
Conri blinked.  
“ _What?_ ”  
“You never tried?”  
“I … I didn’t know it was possible. Do you think it could go beyond mimicking?”  
“You’re part fey in your home loop. I would guess you could find a way around that limitation.”  
Conri thought of the long stretches between significant events in his loop, and the potential for training they now presented.  
“I’ll definitely work on that,” he decided.

* * *

“Conri!”  
The eighteen-year-old turned as Hermione came running up to him. She was holding something by a beaded handle.  
“What is it?” Conri asked. “Weren’t you supposed to be somewhere at the end of the loop?”  
“I don’t _have_ to be up there,” Hermione contradicted. “I had to pack a few more things before giving this to you.” She held out her beaded handbag, the one with the enchantment that made it far larger on the inside.  
“…You’re giving this to me?” he asked, slightly confused.  
“You can only hold one thing in your Subspace Pocket right now,” Hermione explained. “Usually, when I meet new loopers, their pockets are big enough that this wouldn’t really help them, but I’ve always kept a few spare to give out to any new loopers I might chance to meet who need to take more than their pockets could normally hold.”  
Conri looked down at the bag as Hermione passed it to him. It was bulging, something that in itself was surprising.  
“How much did you pack in here?” he asked.  
“You can look through it later. There isn’t long left before the loop ends. Put your wand in there and then put it in your pocket before you miss your chance.”  
Conri did not argue, however desperately he wanted to examine what his friend had packed for him. He just managed to fit his wand inside the bag on top of everything else crammed into it, and then with a thought and an unnecessary gesture, he slipped the bulging bag into his pocket.  
“Please tell me there’s an invisibility cloak in there,” he said hopefully.  
“Several, actually. I thought I should account for an unplanned Loop Reset. I’d tell you more but there isn’t time.”  
“I understand,” Conri said hastily. “Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome,” Hermione said, smiling warmly. “I hope you’re not alone in your loop for much longer.”  
It wasn’t the first time she had said this, but Conri found himself hoping for the same thing as his first Fused Loop drew to its close.

* * *

## 1.4

  
Conri Awoke in a cradle. This was unusual enough, but when he saw Lord Colum leaning over him, several conflicting emotions warring on his face, he began to suspect what must have happened.  
"Is he not beautiful, Colum?" Oonagh cooed from the other side of the cradle. "Your seventh son at last!"  
"Would that his brothers were here to see him," Colum murmured, sounding very drained.  
"I have named him Conri," Oonagh said as if she had not heard. "Be happy, husband. This babe will grow up to be Lord of Sevenwaters!"  
"Liam should have been Lord," Colum said in that same tired voice. Then he looked down at Conri again and a very small, sad smile softened his features. "But that is not the fault of this child."  
He lifted Conri into his arms and held him very close. The Anchor felt his current father's chest heave beneath his cheek, but no tears came.  
At length, he was laid down in the cradle again, and Colum excused himself. Conri wondered where he was going, then fell to wondering how long he would be able to bear a Loop that started with him as a helpless infant.  
_Did replacing Ciarán have to start_ here?

* * *

It would have been more awkward, he thought, if he had had to marry Niamh to create the Child of the Prophecy, but it was Lóch in her place, and Sean who had inherited the stature and colouring of their Briton father. That was a strange sight indeed, but Conri had seen stranger in these Loops.  
He had avoided being with Lóch up until now, desperate to spare her from the cruel fate she had been dealt in Baseline, but Yggdrasil had shoved him into a corner and he could not avoid the woman of his heart this time. Bad things happened if there was no Child of the Prophecy, and Johnny was rarely suitable for the post.  
Sparing Lóch the trauma of being married to Fionn had been simple—he'd kidnapped her. He had helped Ciarán do the same with Niamh in previous Loops and not really broken anything. He had explained why their marriage would be forbidden, but she had cared as little as any child of Sevenwaters once their hearts were set on someone. Conri had had to fain ignorance of the fact to keep the Loop on track.  
Now, he sat in a cave in the Honeycomb, cradling a lovely, red-haired infant in his arms.  
"Fainne," he murmured.  
"You did say that was what you would name our daughter, should we have one," Lóch pointed out. "She has your hair, and I think your eyes as well."  
"And the features of one from Sevenwaters," Conri countered, smiling. He would not look at the twisted foot beneath the blanket. He did not need to see that.  
_Now to really start shifting things around. Fainne's training will be quite unique._  
He glanced over at the falcon perched on a rocky outcropping. For some reason, the Mark of the Raven in the prophecy had been replaced with that of the Falcon, and all the usual raven-themed things had been changed likewise. Without anything better to call him, he had resorted to pulling a name from another Universe.  
"Everything should be all right now, Merlin," he said to the bird. "You should go and stretch your wings—you haven't left the caves in days."  
The falcon that was this Loop's Ciarán screeched and launched himself from his perch, disappearing into one of the tunnels.  
"Sometimes, I really think that bird understands everything we say," Lóch mused.  
"If you only knew, dear heart," Conri murmured, a little sadly.

* * *

## 1.5

  
"Do you need help?"  
Sorcha started violently and it was clear from her expression that she had barely managed to stifle a shriek. She turned to bolt for the cave opening, but Conri took her arm before she had walked two steps.  
"It's all right! I heard everything the Lady told you and I want to help!"  
She stopped and turned mistrustful green eyes on him.  
"I mean it! Look, I can prove it! I found this on the lakeshore after Mother left. I'm sorry I couldn't get there in time to save your brothers, but I can help you do it if you'll let me."  
He held out her bundle, the one she had planned to take with her when she left the forest.  
Sorcha took the bundle, still mistrustful, and opened it, her gaze roving over the contents.  
"It's all there," Conri assured her, "and I can carry more supplies than you and that old horse your friend had."  
The girl raised an eyebrow skeptically at this statement.  
Conri proceeded to pull a large sack of oats, another of wheat, a large basket of assorted berries that ought not have been in season, and a wheel of cheese from his subspace pocket, where many more such things had been stored. She stared at him in disbelief.  
"It's not from the Otherworld, in case you were wondering. It's just that the place I store them in preserves food."  
He put all the provisions back, smiling as the last of them disappeared. She was still staring at him.  
"I know I have to earn your trust," he said, "especially since you know who my mother is, but I have no wish to harm you, and I want your brothers to be freed almost as much as you do."  
Sorcha was plainly still suspicious, but she nodded at him and went to the late Father's stores. Conri went to help her.

* * *

Conri had tried this approach before in many a Loop, and by now had it down almost to an art. He could get Sorcha to trust him relatively quickly, could provide her with enough food and comfort to give her the strength to persevere, could tend to her hands when the pain from handling the starwort became too much. He could persuade her brothers, during their nights of freedom, that he was not a threat. Diarmid usually took more convincing than the others, but Conri was not at all surprised by that.  
Despite all, however, he could not reliably prevent the rape attempt, although he remained alert enough to make sure that was as far as it went. Reading Sorcha's account of the whole ordeal had left him determined to spare her that, at least.  
So it was this time. Sorcha had not met the simpleton directly, but he had seen her, and the two would-be rapists had gotten him to lead them to their cave. His security charms were tripped when they were still out of sight of the place, and Conri wasted no time.  
"Sorcha!" he hissed, running to the tree she was sitting beneath, her needlework spread on her lap. "Get inside, now!"  
She stared at him for a moment, but clearly realised this was serious, because she scooped up her things and turned to run back up toward the cave. Conri followed, his gaze flicking from one side to the other until she was safely inside. Then he whistled for Linn. The dog came bounding up immediately, and wagged her tail enthusiastically. It took several tries to get her to go in with Sorcha, and by the time she did, he could hear distant footsteps and harsh voices.  
Once his charges were safe, he drew his wand, and tapped a particular spot on the rock by the entrance, marked with an intricate rune. With a grinding sound, the stone walls drew together, sealing the cave completely. This had kept bad weather out, and heat in. Now it would prevent Sorcha from coming to harm.  
The men were easy to find, and three stunning spells were sufficient to subdue them. Then he cast memory charms on all three, before summoning a loose branch, turning it into a portkey, and making sure all three were touching it before stepping away. In a few moments, they were whisked away back to their village, with no memory of the supposed faery girl, or what they had been planning to do to her.

* * *

When Sorcha's brothers came that night, there were no acts of vengeance to darken their visit, no hounds to bury or wounds to tend or broken, traumatised sisters for whom they could do nothing. Of them all, only Finbar was cognizant of what had been prevented. He took Conri aside after they had eaten, leading him far enough away that he could still see his siblings around the fire, but could not be overheard.  
"How much do you know?" he asked, looking at him intently.  
Conri had been expecting this. Finbar always seemed aware of his strangeness, though not the cause of it. That knowledge was surely beyond the scope of his Sight.  
"I knew that your sister needed protecting," he murmured. "I knew that she needed a friend. It is easier to bear hardship when one has a friend."  
Finbar nodded.  
"She will still have to leave," he said. "It is only a matter of time before—there is someone she must meet if the future is to be fair."  
Conri nodded.  
"I know. I'll be going with her."  
Finbar made as if to shake his head, then paused.  
"Ah," he murmured. "The raven form. Is it safe?"  
"My method of changing is different from yours, yes," Conri confirmed. "She must not know I am with her, but I don't intend to abandon her to her fate. Britons are not all evil, but there is one who could do her great harm. I would prevent that."  
Finbar smiled faintly.  
"You remind me of myself, a little," he said. "I was as daring as you before— _before._ "  
Conri nodded solemnly.  
"Sorcha fears for you," he told him. "She loves all her brothers, but you are especially dear to her. Seeing you fade is breaking her heart."  
Finbar looked away.  
"There is no undoing some changes," he said quietly, "however much we might wish it."  
Not for the first time, Conri hoped Finbar would someday Loop. The benefits he foresaw far outweighed the hardships.  
"True," he said gently, "but they are not always for the worse, however they appear." He turned toward the fire. "Come. Sorcha will miss you in the winter. Give her a few more good memories to see her through."

* * *

## 1.6 (Spellsinger Chronicles)

  
Conri awoke, in both senses of the word, in an unfamiliar clearing in a strange forest whose trees bore leaves that rang like bells.  
“Well, it’s been a while since John Tom got replaced,” said an equally strange voice from above him. “’Oo might you be, lad?”  
Conri took a minute to examine his Loop memories, and discovered his name was currently Connor Rian Merryweather, and that his in-Loop self knew as little about this place as he did. He looked up at the person who had spoken to him to tell them as much…  
And found that the 'person' was a five-foot-tall otter standing on its hind legs and wearing clothes. He stared at this surprising apparition for slightly longer than was probably polite.  
“Hello,” he said at last. “If you don’t mind my asking, which loop is this?”  
“Well, most folk call it the Spellsinger loop, an’ I’m one of the Anchors for it. Name’s Mudge.”  
“Nice to meet you,” Conri said, sitting up and taking a closer look at his fellow Looper. “You can call me Conri. The only difference between my in-Loop name and that of a family friend in my home universe is an extra n, and that would get confusing very quickly.” A particular phrase registered to him just at that moment. “Spellsinger? What does that mean?”  
“Ah,” the otter said, grinning broadly and showing off an impressive set of sharp teeth. “Y’see, me mate John Tom’s a spellsinger, meanin’ ‘e uses music and singin’ to make magic. It ‘as t’ be both or it don’ work.”  
"Really?" Conri was intrigued. This brand of magic seemed made for him. "Are there any limitations on what songs you can use?"  
Mudge shrugged.  
"John-Tom usually works with songs 'e knows well. 'E can change the words 'n' stuff, but in Baseline 'e was rubbish at composin'."  
Conri nodded in understanding.  
"It's one thing to learn a song by heart, and quite another to _write_ one," he agreed. Then he smiled. "Fortunately, I'm a bard in my Baseline. Do I need a specific instrument for this?"  
"I'd recommend ya start with the duar," Mudge told him. "I've 'ad some prospective spellsingers pass through 'ere an' they do better with native instruments startin' out."  
Conri nodded again.  
"I'm not surprised. Do you have any duars on hand?"  
Mudge grinned, producing a strange-looking stringed instrument from thin air.  
"Always carry a few dozen or so in my Pocket, case anythin' goes awry. Wan' some tips?"  
Conri shook his head.  
"I think I can work it out," he said, taking the duar and beginning to pluck at the strings experimentally. "It has an interesting timbre to it."  
Mudge left him to his practising, saying something about fetching one of the other local Loopers, and Conri strummed the two sets of strings idly, testing the instrument's range. It didn't take him long to get a feel for it, and he began playing one of his own compositions, humming the melody at first, then singing the words. He didn't expect it to do anything, as it was nought but a sad love ballad, but when he looked up, it was to find the otter had returned with what appeared to be a large bipedal turtle, and both were wiping at their streaming eyes.  
"You gotta be _careful,_ mate!" Mudge said, sounding almost distraught. "Spellsingin' messes with emotions too!"  
The turtle seemed calmer, and more exasperated than upset.  
"I do hope, my boy, that you have more weapons in your arsenal than tragic ballads," he said almost drily. "I strongly doubt making the Plated Folk _cry_ will help very much. Now that I think on it, the Plated Folk might not even be _able_ to cry."  
Conri felt his cheeks grow warm.  
"I'm so sorry," he apologised. "Should I sing something else?"  
The turtle glanced toward the still sobbing Mudge, then rubbed at his own streaming eyes again in some irritation.  
"That would probably be a good idea. This doesn't seem likely to wear off any time soon. Be careful, though—I'd rather not be incapacitated by uncontrollable _laughter._ "

* * *

It didn't take terribly long for Conri to get used to his new powers. Mudge provided him with a vast array of music books filled with songs from John-Tom's world, which was quite close to the hub as far as popular music was concerned. Surprisingly, there were a fair number of Celtic songs in the mix. John-Tom had been looping for quite a long time, and had accumulated an extremely varied repertoire. This made Conri's options very broad indeed, but also made his task harder. The music books had annotations for their various uses in spellsinging, which helped with his planning, but there was only so far a particular song could go without being altered, as John-Tom himself said in his notes.  
Mudge had also provided Conri with the books detailing his and John-Tom's baseline, which had left him both amused and unsettled.  
"We don' 'ave t' do _all_ of it," the otter explained, "but I like t' give visitors a proper tour, ya'know? And even if they ain't gonna ever Loop, there's friends what'd be left to suffer when we could've 'elped 'em."  
"And your sweetheart is out there waiting for you," Conri added with a knowing smile.  
Mudge flashed him a grin.  
"Tha's for later. We've gotta 'andle the Plated Folk first."  
Conri frowned, and went back to perusing his song books. The Plated Folk had been dealt with in a myriad of ways by John-Tom, but most of them were not Conri's style. Now that he had grasped the basics of spellsinging, he wanted to make it his own.

* * *

The armies of the Plated Folk were vast. Conri had known they would be, in theory, but seeing it was another thing entirely. He hoped this plan would work, and that his new friends wouldn't be caught up in it. He had crafted the lyrics to point at the insectoid people specifically, but he wouldn't know if the modifications were sufficient until he tried them.  
"All right," he murmured to his companions. "Here goes."  
"I have some alternate spells ready in case you fail spectacularly," Clothahump said in his usual manner.  
"Thanks," Conri responded sarcastically as he limbered his duar.  
He began with a heavily edited section of a song called _[Fireflies.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytBR7ET_6uU)_ A strange ripple ran through the army from the centre as he sang, and he repeated the passage four times before moving on to the next song in the long medley he had put together. This one had the straight-forward title of _[Shut Up and Dance,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbcCG7PkI18)_ and it had the desired effect. The Plated Folk tried to resist it, but the longer he sang, the more of them found themselves caught up in a frenzied dance, unable to do anything else. Some ran into others with such force that they were knocked sprawling, and their comrades proceeded to dance all over the fallen, either crushing them or causing themselves to trip and join them. Conri transitioned smoothly into _[Murder On the Dance Floor,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAx6mYeC6pY)_ and the ferocity of the dancing increased. More fell in their hundreds and were crushed. The dancers moved faster and faster, until smoke began to rise from their ranks.

Conri paused, drew a deep breath, poised his fingers over the strings, and sang out over the pandemonium.  
"[These bugs are on _fire!_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b1YSNsF2eE)"

* * *

"Tha' was _bloody_ brilliant!" Mudge clapped Conri on the back. "You _obliterated_ 'em by makin' 'em dance so fast they burned up!"  
Conri felt just a little sorry for the decimated army, but also deeply gratified that his plan had worked.  
"That was _fun!_ " he admitted, grinning infectiously. "I could get used to this magic!"  
"You're doin' great for a beginner, tha's for sure," Mudge agreed.  
Conri sobered.  
"This is the first time I've found magic that suits me," he admitted. "I mean, I've replaced my brother and gotten his baseline abilities, and I have Hogwarts magic, and I can _use_ those well enough for my needs, but this? This has weaponised my _singing._ My Baseline talent, something my mother derided me for because it was all I had. And I just defeated an entire army with music."  
"Well, it's very rare that I'm impressed by visitors any more," Clothahump said, "but you have the most skill I've seen since Sweetie Bell."  
"I'd take tha' as a compliment," Mudge observed. "Sweetie really knew 'er stuff."  
"What kind of name is _Sweetie Bell?_ " Conri asked, confused.  
Mudge blinked at him.  
"You don' know 'bout the _ponies_ yet?"  
Conri flushed.  
"Well, I know _about_ them, just not all their _names._ "  
The otter shrugged.  
"Fair 'nough. There's a lot of 'em an' Twilight's the most famous, bein' the Anchor an' all."  
"I have her guide somewhere," Conri said. "Hermione Granger gave it to me. Was this Sweetie that talented?"  
"You ever been t' Arda?"  
Conri shook his head.  
"I've read of it, something about a very evil ring."  
"Well, 'ave I got a story for you, then," the otter said. "Ope ya don' 'ave any pressin' engagements—this is gonna take some explainin'."

* * *

## 1.7

  
Oonagh stood surrounded by Colum's sons, all of them within her power. She had just finished the last of her gloating speeches and was about to begin casting. Then a slight movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Could it be Sorcha, back among the trees? Surely not. More likely it was some fool from the keep out for a morning stroll. Whoever it was, they couldn't be allowed to escape to tell the tale.  
She turned towards where she thought she had glimpsed movement, and a streak of light hit her squarely in the chest. Her arms snapped to her sides, her legs snapped together, and every muscle in her body save those around her eyes seized up. She fell stiffly to the ground.  
"I knew I'd find you here!" The voice sounded extremely relieved, and completely unfamiliar. "I've been searching for you all over Erin! I was getting worried I wouldn't find you before something unfortunate happened!"  
Oonagh could only stare as the newcomer strode into the clearing and bent over her. It couldn't be. He had no magic—nothing she could use, at any rate. And yet, he looked far older than he should. She tried to speak, but her mouth wouldn't open and her tongue and throat seemed incapable of making any sound.  
The young man who looked like Conri waved a slender rod of wood in the air, and several people gasped for breath.  
"How did you—" Liam began, weakly.  
"Please forgive me," the man said. "I can tell I very nearly came too late. My poor mother hasn't been right in the head since Father died. I have to keep an eye on her or she wanders off and suddenly some poor fool has a donkey's head. I was absolutely frantic when she disappeared a few months ago, but all my friends in both worlds hadn't seen her, so I went looking, and finally heard rumours of a redhead wedding one of the local lords." He looked down at Oonagh again, and she glared at him. He clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "You should have known I'd find you eventually," he said in a chiding tone, as if she were a small child. "I'm afraid I can't unbind you until we're well away from here. Can't have you escaping and doing these poor boys a mischief."  
And with that, he reached down, grabbed her by the shoulder, and hauled her to her feet. He spun around, carrying her with him, and then darkness and pressure closed in around them both.

* * *

It had been many Loops since Conri had been afraid of his mother. In truth, he had not feared her retribution since he had gained Hogwarts magic and his animagus transformation. Gaining the powers of a spellsinger had only granted him more of an advantage. He had used an altered cover of _[What's My Age Again?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmO6kcCww-U)_ to grant him physical maturity at the beginning of every Loop since he had attained the talent. It made a lot of things easier in the beginning than they had been when he had seemed to be nought but a boy of ten or eleven.  
After his last Loop, in which he had met Naruto, he had been emboldened by the other Anchor's stories. The Ninja had been through a great deal since his Loop had come online countless aeons ago, but his indomitable spirit had rarely wavered. They had parted friends, and Conri had gained even more skills from Naruto's world.  
He cast a barrier around the clearing to which he had apparated with Oonagh before undoing the Body Bind.  
"Do you have _any_ idea what you've—!" she began, but then her mouth dropped open in shock as Conri used the Shadow Clone technique.  
"I'm going to say this _once,_ " he said coolly from the midst of about a dozen clones. "You no longer have power over me. You will _never_ have power over me again. I know full well what you were about to do to those boys, and frankly, I don't _care_ how angry you are with me for stopping you." He gestured at the four clones farthest from him. "Show her what Naruto taught us."  
"Sir!" the clones chorused, forming handseals with blinding speed. Each fired a different elemental blast in the direction they faced, fire, wind, water and lightning cutting furrows in the ground. Each blast collided with an unfortunate tree which proceeded to burst into flames, split cleanly in two, or simply explode.  
When the dust settled, Conri met his mother's now wide eyes.  
"I have plenty of reason to destroy you, as you know all too well," he said coldly. "However, the babe you carry has done nothing to deserve death, and for his sake, I will spare you, at least until he has been born and weaned. After that—Well, that is up to you." He created several more Shadow Clones. "You will be under guard at all times from now on. My clones contain some of my power, and I will replace them daily to ensure they remain in top form. If you somehow manage to dispel one of them, I will know and replace him. The more trouble you cause during this time, the less merciful I will be when my brother is safely away from here. Is that understood?"  
Oonagh nodded, still wide-eyed. He had never seen open fear on her face before.  
"Good." Conri turned to the nearest clones. "Do what you must to keep her restrained, but don't over-stress her body. The child must be born safely. And don't let her do anything that might cause her to miscarry. If all else fails, use medical jutsu to immobilise her until I can attend to her myself."  
"Where are you going?" Oonagh demanded, clearly trying to sound as imperious as usual. The effect was ruined by the way her voice shook.  
"Not far," Conri lied. "I will know if you try anything. Of that you can be sure."  
With that, he changed into a raven, and flew away over the trees. He had faith in his clones. They knew where his duar was, and the several harps he had placed at strategic points around the forest. Spellsinging, as it happened, worked just as well for clones as for the original, and with some practice, he had been able to channel it through his harp as well.

* * *

Alone at a quiet terminal, a dark-haired goddess smiled at the stats displayed on her screen.  
"He is doing very well," she murmured. "Very well indeed." She brought up a new window and began typing in commands. It was time her newest Anchor had some more permanent company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1.1: I'm working to keep Conri in-character here, and this is how I imagine his reaction would progress.
> 
> 1.2: The reason Conri's appearance fluctuates will be properly explained next chapter. Also, gender-bending Variants are quite common, so expect more of them.
> 
> 1.3: First Fusion! Harry Potter was one of the first Loops to come online, and at the time this snip was written, the Baseline consisted of only the seven main books. As far as I'm aware, _The Cursed Child_ etc is not looked on favourably by the HP Loopers. Also, the very early Loops were created by someone with very questionable ideas, which are largely ignored by the community as a whole today, aside from mentioning that the characters no longer act like that and are frankly embarrassed by their early Looping selves. One very fun aspect of this project is the potential for character development.  
> Also, thank you, Tumblr, for all the raven facts I've picked up over the years. They're helping _ever so much._
> 
> 1.4: This happens a lot too. Characters Replacing each other has been a staple of the Loops since the beginning, including characters Replacing others in different Looping worlds. Also, fun fact: _Merlin_ is also the name of a species of falcon, hence why I _really_ chose it.
> 
> 1.5: Look at him, getting bolder! Aren't you proud? I am!
> 
> 1.6: This is what is known as a _Formative Loop._ As has already been shown, Loopers can pick up abilities from any world they visit, but Formative Loops are the ones from which a Looper gains a skillset that becomes their favoured means of dealing with issues. As you can see, spellsinging is a skill that seems made for Conri.
> 
> 1.7: I won't lie, this was my favourite Loop in this set. It was so much fun to write!


	2. Loops 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ciarán joins Conri in the Loops, and discovers fairy tales.  
> Harry and some of his friends visit Sevenwaters and wreak havoc.  
> The story of Daughter of the Forest is displaced into a modern setting.  
> Sorcha Awakens and we meet the Sevenwaters Admin.  
> Includes fusions with Harry Potter, the Dresden Files, and the Hub.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few terms that come up in this chapter, and were in the last but not really explained:  
> The Hub: The place where all the Loops are backed up, in the centre of Yggdrasil. It is basically our world.  
> Subspace Pocket: A pocket dimension made out of part of a Looper's soul, in which they can take physical objects between Loops safely. It gets bigger the longer a person has been Looping, as the Looper gains power the longer they've been Active.  
> Ping: A signal created by Loopers which they can use to determine how many other Loopers are in a given Loop with them. It does not provide directions, or have any other identifying marker.
> 
> Let me know if you want me to move notes like this into the chapter itself and turn them into footnotes. I've learned how to do that and it strikes me that I should make use of it for this fic and others like it I may write in the future.

## 2.1

It made no _sense._ The last thing he remembered was the pool in the Otherworld, where he had retreated after sending Maeve and her small party home, and attending to several other matters. And now, suddenly, he was here, huddled between the rocks, his body feeling so small and vulnerable and _young,_ and the memories of why he had been sitting here were shocking in their clarity. But this _could not be!_ His mother had been dead for eleven years, his father more than twice as long, and yet, if these vivid memories were to be believed, they were still alive. And he was a child again.  
Had this been Mac Dara's last act? Had it been done by one of his or Caisin's allies? He did not know, but he was certain that if his mother could have just gone back to an earlier time, she would have. He had certainly never been taught such a skill. If it was not a part of the craft, however, what had happened? How was he here, in his young body, with the memories of a man grown who had loved and lost, who had raised a child and had to let her go, who had given up everything to save the human world from a fey tyrant? Could he go back?  
"Ciarán?"  
The voice made him start. It was familiar, though not quite the same as when he had heard it last.  
He looked up. A boy of seventeen was kneeling not far from him, concern in his eyes. His face didn't look right, but Ciarán found to his distress that he couldn't remember exactly what his brother _had_ looked like, despite seeing him only a scant few years before, when he had left with Aisha.  
"Conri?" he asked, almost tentative.  
The boy's gaze sharpened.  
"How did you know my name?" he asked slowly.  
Ciarán's quick mind was already working, however. If this was Conri, and this was the time he thought it was, there was not a moment to be wasted. He could work out how he had come to be here later.  
"You can't marry Lóch at Lugnasad," he said, speaking urgently. "If you can't convince her grandmother to make it sooner, _run._ Take them and leave after Father comes for me. He will come, and you must help him, but then _leave._ "  
Before he could say anything else, his brother had launched himself across the space between them and pulled him from his bolthole, hugging him so tightly he gave an involuntary squeak.  
" _You remember._ I don't know who to thank but _you remember._ You're _Awake!_ "  
"Conri, I need to breathe," Ciarán gasped out.  
Conri laughed shakily and let him go.  
"I'm sorry, he said, moving back a little and looking into his face. "I've been hoping for this moment for—but you have no idea what I'm talking about. Is this your first time coming back? When did you become _aware_ you'd come back?"  
"Yes, and only a few moments before you arrived." Ciarán was beginning to calm. He was not alone in this, and Conri didn't seem the least upset. In fact, judging by his attitude, he'd done this multiple times. "Do you know why I'm here?"  
"Yes, but it's going to take some explaining." Conri rose to his feet, drew a slender rod of wood from nowhere, and began to gesture with it. At last he put the rod away and sat back down. "There. She won't find us. I'm glad I decided to play it Baseline this Loop."  
"... _Baseline?_ " Ciarán repeated, his confusion mounting.  
"Right. I'm getting to that." Conri frowned. "I've been working out how to explain this to future Sevenwaters Loopers for several thousand years. This is going to sound crazy, but bear with me."  
It didn't sound _that_ mad to Ciarán, but it was definitely the most complicated tale he'd heard in his life. Conri couldn't explain Yggdrasil without at least giving a basic explanation of what a computer was, and Ciarán was sure it was only the briefest of summaries. Still, it was enough to know that this tree from which all worlds hung and whose life sustained them was also an immense library containing the knowledge of every one of those worlds. It was clear there was more to it than that, but the point had been made that this tree was _very_ important, and its damage affected every world it supported, which was why the gods—far more of them than he had ever realised, were taking measures to ensure the worlds didn't fall from the tree. Which was why he and Conri were now Looping. Explaining this led to other explanations—Conri's role as Anchor, the many types of variation in the Loops, the dangers one could encounter if one was not careful. It was all fascinating, and Ciarán had always loved learning. He listened intently, taking in every word, until his brother had finished.  
"So, any questions?" he asked.  
Ciarán had more questions than he could count, but most could wait.  
"Have you been able to escape your Baseline fate?"  
Conri smiled.  
"That has not been a problem since my first Fused Loop. I do have to make sure the prophecy is fulfilled, so my being a raven at least some of the time is important, but I no longer need Mother's help with that." The change was immediate, and looked somehow different from all the other such changes Ciarán had witnessed. The greatest shock came when his brother continued speaking without resuming his human form. "And some of the limitations aren't present either." The raven chuckled as Ciarán stared at him in astonishment. His voice had not changed at all. "Do you know, someone else had to tell me ravens could learn to mimic human speech before I tried it? To be fair, I never spent much time with wild ravens, and I don't think human folk of our time have had enough interactions with them for it to be widely known." He changed back, his smile now a broad grin. He then pulled a strange object from nothing, and a bright flash dazzled Ciarán's eyes. "Sorry," Conri said as he stowed the thing away again. "That look on your face was _priceless._ I wanted a picture."  
Ciarán put the strange box and his brothers odd comment out of his mind for the moment.  
"How long did it take you to learn that?" he asked.  
"One Loop to successfully mimic my own voice, a few more to add words my animagus form could speak. If I awaken already under the geis, I can use my animagus abilities to break out of it, so I don't even have to retrain myself, as long as I keep in practice, and this is one of the skills I make a _point_ of keeping in practice."  
"I can imagine," Ciarán said with a faint smile. He sobered again almost immediately. "And what of Lóch?"  
Conri's grin faded.  
"I keep my distance unless we replace some other important couple," he said quietly. "It's better that way. Safer for her."  
"And what of _you?_ " Ciarán asked pointedly. "You love her. She loved you."  
"All our love brought her was grief and pain and a lonely death," Conri said, his voice tight with suppressed emotion. "She deserves better than that."  
Ciarán gave him a long, searching look.  
"What would you tell me if I said the same things about Niamh?"  
"That's different," Conri said immediately. "She can be protected—I do it all the time, and not just because Fainne has to be born. I want you to be happy!" There was a short silence. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"  
"You did indeed." Ciarán sighed. "What happened to Lóch was terrible, but you have long since averted the geis, and you have so much power now that you didn't then. I want _you_ to have some happiness." He smiled a little sadly. "I'll admit, there is part of me that whispers Niamh would be far better off if we never met, but my heart screams otherwise, and if she crossed my path again, I would not let her slip away." He glanced down at his hands. "And if anyone chanced to hear me say that, they might suspect I'd been replaced with a changeling."  
Conri chuckled weakly.  
"They can't hear or see us right now. But I understand your meaning. You'll have to wait years before you and Niamh can be together."  
"I thought I would never see her again," Ciarán murmured. "I will wait as long as I must." He locked eyes with his brother. "Promise me you will court Lóch as often as you can. Protect her as you have Niamh. Don't deny your heart any more. You have eternity ahead of you."  
His brother's smile was shaky, and his eyes glistened in the evening light, but he nodded.  
"All right, little brother. You win. But not this Loop. I want to focus on you. There's still so much to teach you, and we have time for that. I don't want to waste it when we don't know what the next Loop will bring."  
Ciarán nodded.  
"Very well," he conceded. "Where should we begin?"  
"We can discuss it further tomorrow," Conri said, standing up and producing his wand again. "You should return to your guardians before they start to worry."  
Ciarán grimaced.  
"Why did I have to Awaken _now?_ "  
Conri laughed, reaching down to ruffle his hair.  
"Because Yggdrasil has a warped sense of humour that only some of us can appreciate, some of the time. Be grateful—The first time I replaced you, I Awoke in the _cradle._ "  
Ciarán shuddered involuntarily at that thought, and his brother laughed again.

* * *

## 2.2 (Harry Potter)

"Well, this is new," Ciarán remarked, glancing around the room he shared with Conri in the keep of Sevenwaters.  
"Not to me," Conri said, tugging on a lock of auburn hair. "I've replaced Conor before. Our names are quite similar." He glanced out the window. "Actually, in this Loop, you could say we _both_ replaced Conor. Poor Niamh. Triplets, in this era!"  
"And she still survived to have several more children," Ciarán said. "Poor Niamh indeed." He frowned. "Is this a common variant?"  
"If you mean Sorcha having more brothers than usual, yes, it's a surprisingly common variant. I've seen this a number of times. It usually means visiting Loopers, though not all the outsiders are Awake. The enchantment is a little different depending on the numbers."

"How so?" Ciarán asked.  
"Well, there are eleven of us this time," Conri explained. "If we let the curse fall, we'll still turn into swans, but Sorcha's shirts will be made of nettles instead of starwort."  
"So the plant is less painful to handle, but she must make nearly double the amount of garments," Ciarán observed.  
Conri nodded.  
"It still has to be difficult," he reminded him. "Be glad there aren't twelve of us—we would end up as ducks or geese, and Sorcha would need to work with thistledown and make coats and scarves as well."  
Ciarán winced.  
"How long does _that_ take?" he asked.  
"In those variants, she usually has her children _during the silence._ That's not the only variant where the task lasts that long, either. There's one where the silence must last six years to the day." Then he smiled. "I don't think we need to worry about the curse for _this_ Loop, at least. I know our visitors, and they won't just let Mother run rampant. They'll probably wreak more havoc than she ever could."  
Ciarán raised an eyebrow.  
"Really?"  
Conri smirked.  
"I told you about the Weasley twins before," he said. "And Sirius Black, for that matter. And Harry's one of the oldest Loopers in the Multiverse. Neither Mother nor Mac Dara stands a _chance._ "

* * *

Ciarán could only stare. The scene before him could best be described as utter _chaos._ The furniture had all been animated and several of his brothers were dancing on the tables, which were in turn dancing on the floor. Above them, a flock of frantic canaries were fluttering, victims of both his Baseline mother's wiles and the visiting twins' long-term Canary Creams. Half the room was taken up by a patch of conjured swamp, in which the unfortunate Lady Oonagh was submerged up to her chest, unable to move owing to the body bind curse placed upon her.  
A large, black dog wandered in as if by some happy accident, looking very self-satisfied. It approached Ciarán, and made sure no-one was watching before shifting back into a handsome youth of about seventeen, Diarmid's in-loop twin.  
"And what manner of mischief have _you_ been up to?" Ciarán asked.  
"Oh, more of the same," Sirius said with a shrug. "Re-enchanting Oonagh's mirror to insult her, transfiguring all her clothing so the colours and styles all clash horribly, marking my territory in places she couldn't fail to notice, that sort of thing."  
"She blamed Linn for that the last time you did it," Ciarán reminded him.  
"Yes, but Linn's been locked up, hasn't she? Nobody could blame her this time."  
"When are you going to let her out of the swamp?" Ciarán asked, gesturing at the head and shoulders just visible through the screen of lush marsh plants.  
"When Conri's finished restoring and improving Sorcha's garden. We're planting all sorts of interesting things there to keep the herbs safe. I'd just _love_ to see our Mummy dearest fight off a venomous tentacula."  
"If she stays much longer," Ciarán said. "I'm surprised she didn't leave after the wedding."  
Sirius grinned.  
"Dressing her in Umbridge's clothes was _such_ a good idea," he said with relish. I'll make sure you get a copy of the pictures." He sobered. "She's not going to leave until she's pregnant. Even if she has to thoroughly confund Colum, she'll get her baby and go."  
"And then?" Ciarán asked.  
"And then, we'll keep tabs on her until the kid's born and nab him once he's been weaned. Some things need to fall out according to your Baseline, after all."  
Ciarán nodded, watching as Finbar appeared at the opposite side of the room, took in the scene at a glance and backed out hastily.  
"This Loop is going to be very ... _interesting,_ " he said at last.  
Sirius nodded.  
"Old Lord Dick's next on the agenda," he said. "What should we do with _him,_ I wonder?"  
"Call him Lord Dick to his face," Conri suggested, reappearing from under his invisibility cloak. "He might just die of shock."  
"And where would be the fun in that?" Sirius retorted, grinning. "I take it the garden's done?"  
"It's amazing what can be done with 'Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary' when one is a spellsinger," Conri said with an answering grin. "Sorcha likes the whomping willow. I noticed some of the men watching it as I left—they seemed wary of it."  
"Which is entirely the point," Sirius said. "Is your pocket big enough for some seeds? You could do this again in another Loop if it works as well now."  
"Do you have enough for several attempts?" Conri asked.  
Sirius nodded.  
"You've never been in Harry's pocket, have you? If we have a thousand of something, we need to stock up, and we'll _always_ have space for it. All of us have been around for a long time."  
"I wish _my_ pocket was that big," Conri said dreamily.  
"I wouldn't. Giant pockets are too easy to get lost in." He glanced over at Oonagh. "I think we'd better tell the boys they can stop now," he said. "Poor Liam and Diarmid need to be uncharmed—they look exhausted."

* * *

## 2.3 (Dresden Files)

It had been another vanilla Baseline Loop, at least for the last few months. I'd gotten a ping back at the beginning, but since it wasn't anyone I knew at the beginning of the Loop, I'd decided not to chase down whoever it was. If they hadn't made contact, they didn't know me, and in that case, they could go an entire Loop without crossing my path. Knowing Yggdrasil, though, that was less likely than the alternative: that at some point, the Loop would diverge and alleviate my boredom, at least temporarily.  
That divergence came in the form of a phone call one afternoon in the middle of June. I'd been reading an anthology of short stories I hadn't looked at in about fifty Loops, and the sound of the phone startled me a little. I wasn't expecting a call today.  
I set the book aside and picked up the phone.  
"Dresden," I said automatically.  
" _Hello, Mr Dresden._ " The man on the other end of the line sounded weary. " _This is Colum Lakeside. You may have heard of me._ "  
To my slight surprise, I had. It was a slight blip in my Loop Memories that I hadn't looked too closely at—sometimes Variants consisted of different names in the news and nothing more. Colum Lakeside, my memories informed me, was the CEO of Sevenwaters Enterprises, named for the town in Ireland where the company had started. They sold everything from books to electronics and were reasonably successful. They were best known for their rivalry with Northwoods Industries, which had lasted since Colum was a boy, and the bizarre disappearance that had taken place a few months before I Awoke.  
"I have, sir. How may I help you?" I asked, keeping my tone light out of habit.  
A sigh from the other end of the line.  
" _Everyone knows about my loss,_ " he said. " _I'd rather not go over the whole story again—I've told more than my fair share of nosy reporters and private detectives._ "  
"I can imagine," I said drily. "Are you calling me to help find your children, Mr Lakeside?"  
Another, softer sigh.  
" _I've tried everything else. I've hired six different private investigators, let myself be interviewed just in case someone knows anything, called the police so many times they're sick of hearing me. I'm at my wit's end, Mr Dresden. I haven't tried a wizard yet._ "  
_Help me, Harry Dresdenobi. You're my only hope._  
"I'm not sure how much my expertise will help," I lied, "but I'm free for the next few days if you want to arrange a meeting."  
" _I'd appreciate that very much, Mr Dresden,_ " said Colum Lakeside, sounding relieved. " _I'd rather you came to me, if you don't mind. Do you have a pen?_ "  
I got out a pen and pad, and he gave me his private address.  
"Would you like me to come now, Mr Lakeside?" I asked when I'd finished taking notes.  
" _It's not necessary,_ " he responded, " _but I'll pay you double your usual rate if you do._ "  
The man was a clever one. Money wasn't a problem and hadn't been since my early days as a Looper, but I put at least some effort into pretending it was. I'd aroused suspicion too many times by suddenly becoming far too well-off.  
"I'll be there in about an hour," I said, and hung up.

* * *

The Lakeside mansion was large, but not extravagantly so. The place had tight security, though. Tall burly men patrolled the boundary, and cameras were set at regular intervals along the walls, which were a good twelve feet high. The guard at the gate insisted on seeing my id while keeping his eyes carefully averted, just in case I _wasn't_ lying. After inspecting it carefully, he nodded with some reluctance and let me through the gate, which had a complex, though mechanical, combination lock.  
I walked up the drive, past several more cameras, which I suspected would need repairing by the time I left, and reached the door, which was guarded by another couple of men who wouldn't have looked out-of-place as a pair of Johnny Marcone's bodygards. They nodded at me, eyes averted, and one of them opened the door.  
I was met by a neatly-dressed manservant in the entrance hall, and ushered into a spacious sitting-room, where my client was waiting.  
Colum Lakeside was not an especially tall man, but not short either. He was in his early forties, with brown hair he'd let grow long and tied back. He looked very tired, but pleased to see me.  
"Thank you for coming, Mr Dresden," he said politely. "Sit down."  
I did, looking around the room as I did so. I couldn't help noticing a conspicuous lack of photographs.  
"There aren't any pictures of your children here," I observed.  
Colum winced.  
"My wife had them put away after it happened," he said quietly. "She insisted seeing them all the time would only upset me." He looked around surriptitiously, as if expecting someone to be eavesdropping from behind one of the sofas. "My wife has done her best to keep reminders of my children out of sight. I've no idea what she did with Cormack's dog, but I haven't seen her since they disappeared."  
I was trying to remember everything I could about the disappearance of the Lakeside children, and coming up with less than I had realised during the phone call.  
"Mr Lakeside—"  
"Colum, please."  
"Colum, it's been months since I saw any reports on what happened, and I have to admit I didn't pay as much attention as I would have if I knew you would be contacting me. I know you've gone over the details too many times, but I'd appreciate it if you could help me out a bit."  
Colum sighed.  
"What would you like to know?"  
"Your kids were all teenagers, right?" I began.  
He nodded slowly.  
"Liam was eighteen, and engaged," he said, looking as if he'd be crying, except his tears had run out long ago. "Diarmid was a year younger, and the twins a year younger than him. Finbar was a year younger than that, Padriac nearly two years younger than Finbar, and Sorcha..." He trailed off. "Sorcha had just turned thirteen."  
"She was the only girl."  
He nodded.  
"Niamh knew it would be a girl. I hoped it would be a seventh son of a seventh son, but I would not have traded Sorcha for another _six_ sons. I wish I had told her that."  
I was remembering some of the articles I'd read in passing during the height of the publicity surrounding the Lakeside childrens' disappearance.  
"You weren't close to her, then?"  
"I—Every time I looked at her, I saw Niamh. It grew more painful the older she got—I let her brothers and a number of nannies raise her while I ran the company. It was a mistake I have bitterly regretted since winter."  
"And Finbar?" I asked, remembering another section of the article I had read.  
Colum looked pained.  
"If Finbar had been the only one to vanish, I wouldn't have been surprised. He was always disappearing for days at a time. It wasn't really a problem before..."  
He trailed off again.  
"Before you remarried." The wedding picture had caught my attention mainly because nearly everyone in it had not looked in the least happy. The bride had been radiant, of course, but the smile I could remember seemed just a little _too_ bright.  
"Oonagh," Colum murmured, his expression tightening. "She has been—different since the children vanished. She thought telling me she was pregnant would help, but one baby can't replace the seven I've lost."  
"There are rumours," I said delicately.  
"I _know_ all the rumours!" he snapped, glaring at me without meeting my eyes. The glare vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. "I know what they say about Oonagh," he said more calmly. "I honestly don't know what to believe. The longer she isn't near me, the more I think about things that happened between the wedding and my children going missing, and I start to wonder—"  
"Colum? Colum dear? The guards said you had a visitor!"  
The voice was young, and musical, and I felt a shiver run up my spine when I heard it.  
He gave me an apologetic look.  
"In here, Oonagh!" he called back.  
The woman who came into the room was tall and beautiful, long auburn hair tumbling free over her shoulders, her skin pale and flawless. The eyes focused on me, and narrowed, avoiding eye contact. They were a dark purple colour and I was glad she wasn't looking at me directly, because even without eye-contact, they gave me the shivers. The long red dress she was wearing couldn't disguise the curve of her belly. She was clearly pregnant.  
"And who might this charming gentleman be?" she asked with deceptive sweetness.

"This is Mr Dresden. We were discussing a business proposition." Colum's response was carefully crafted, and I took the hint.  
"Thank you for your time, Mr Lakeside," I said brightly. "Here's my card." I pulled one out of my wallet and passed it over, face-down, just in case. "Come to my office in a day or two, and we'll see what I have ready for you."  
"It is I who should thank you, Mr Dresden." Colum produced a wad of bills and passed it over. "For your trouble."  
I tucked the money away without counting it, and rose to leave. As I passed the lady who had cut our meeting short, I turned slightly and flashed her a bright smile.  
"By the way, Mrs Lakeside, congratulations. Do you know the gender yet?"  
"He'll be a son," said Oonagh, her voice still light, though it was no less unsettling. "Of that I am sure. Goodbye, Mr Dresden."  
I found myself very glad she only knew my surname, not that even that power could match mine after countless aeons of Anchorhood.  
I made my way out to my car, and immediately noticed something was up. I could see no-one, but I _could_ sense a person in my car that had definitely not been there before. There were two possibilities here. Either this person was working _for_ the lady of the house, or hiding _from_ her.  
Just in case, I sent out a ping, and got an immediate response. There was a pop, and a rush of displaced air, and then there was an empty invisibility cloak lying on the passenger seat.  
_A shadow clone, then. Clever._  
I got into my car and drove away from the Lakeside estate, looking from side to side every now and again.  
I was flagged down a couple streets away by a boy standing on the corner. He was about eighteen, and had a guitar tucked under his arm, its case lying open beside him. A lot of small change glittered in the velvet-lined interior, as well as a few bills. He looked at me without meeting my eyes, and gave me a thumbs-up at the same time as I received a ping.  
I pulled over and got out of the car, coming to stand beside him.  
"Feeling loopy?" I asked.  
"Yes, but I'm quite firmly anchored," the boy responded calmly. "You have something of mine."  
"Of course. Nice trick with the cloaked clone, by the way." I opened the passenger-side door and retrieved the cloak, passing it back to him. He surriptitiously slipped it into what I assumed was his Pocket.  
"You're a very observant man, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden," he murmured. "But I wouldn't expect anything less from an Anchor as old as yourself."  
I'd have questioned his use of my full name if I were unaware of his Looping status.  
"What's this all about, kid?" I asked pointedly. "Why the cloak and shadow?"  
"You've met my mother," he responded calmly. "I think you know why."  
I looked at him more closely. He had dark-brown hair, but his eyes were purple, and his features were enough like Oonagh's for his ties to her to be clear.  
"Do _you_ know anything about what happened to the Lakeside kids?" I asked.  
He smiled faintly.  
"Only what happened to them in Baseline. This is the first time it's been presented in this format, though."  
"If you know who I am, you know my reputation," I told him. "Make my job easier, kid."  
His smile grew.  
"Two days from now, on Midsummer's Eve, go to this particular portion of the lake, and you'll get some answers." He pulled out a map with a part of the lakeshore marked in red. "Go alone, and bring a video camera. If Colum is to believe what you tell him, you'll need proof."  
"Surely you know what happens to most technology if it's in my presence too long," I pointed out.  
"I'm sure you have some alternatives to get around that. Just make a record of whatever you see or are told there. It's important for the case."  
"Okay, if you say so," I muttered, turning to get back into my car.  
"Oh, before you go, there's a shadow clone at either end of your block. I'll replace them daily. They've been ordered to warn you if any friends of Mother are coming your way, but you can also send me messages through them. If you need any more information, I'll provide you with it."  
"Just not now?"  
He laughed.  
"Where would be the fun in that, Mr Dresden?"

* * *

## 2.4 (Hub Loop)

"So, this is the Hub," Ciarán said.

"It certainly looks like it," Conri agreed. "I'm glad we have a house together—having to find you would have been harder if we weren't sharing a home."  
"Not as hard as it would have been without the mind speech we gained the first time we replaced Conor," Ciarán pointed out.  
Conri nodded.  
"Do you have any plans for this Loop?" he asked. "I'm thinking of a singing career again. That was fun the last time I did it."  
Ciarán frowned.  
"Honestly, I'm not sure. I'll think on it."

* * *

"Conri, look at this!"  
Conri heard the excitement in his brother's voice and came running.

"What is it?"

"I've found an explanation for the variants where Sorcha has more brothers than in Baseline," Ciarán responded, pointing at the screen, which displayed a webpage from a site documenting fairy tales. The page was titled [_Tales Similar to the Six Swans._](http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/sixswans/other.html)

His eyes ran down the long list. Some of the tales mentioned were linked, while others were not. Among them was _The Children of Lir,_ which didn't surprise him at all.

"There are so many," he said at last.

Ciarán nodded.

"More than I expected. Did you ever look up our backup's author? There was a link to this place on her website." Ciarán looked almost like a child being presented with something he'd been wanting for a very long time, and that he had discovered was even better than he had imagined.

"Have you read any of these?" Conri asked.

"A few," Ciarán said with a nod. " _The Wild Swans_ matches the Eleven Brothers Variant, and there are two very similar tales that match the Thistledown Variants. There's also one where there are twelve brothers turned into ravens for seven years while their sister must take a vow of silence to free them, but you never mentioned that one to me before."

Conri nodded.

"It's much rarer, and you haven't been Awake for one of those yet. It usually involves a rather drastic change in how Colum views his children, though, which is part of why I think it's so uncommon."

Ciarán hummed in agreement.

"It did seem quite a stretch," he said. "There are other variants as well that are even farther from our Baseline. Not all of them have pages here, but if I must buy the books they are in, I will. This site is a treasure-trove of stories, Conri! I'm saving everything I can—I don't get an opportunity like this every Loop, after all."

Conri laughed.

"Have fun, little brother," he said warmly. "I'll be making dinner soon—I'll bring a plate up for you."

He left Ciarán to his reading, knowing he would not succeed in prying him away from the computer for quite some time. Nothing so thoroughly engrossed his brother like a collection of tales.

* * *

## 2.5

"And the prince took the lovely Clover home to his kingdom, and there married her. And they and their little daughter were very happy for many long years."

Conri listened from beneath his invisibility cloak, as the hall broke into soft chatter. None of the people there had heard the story of Rapunzel before, after all, let alone the altered version Ciarán had just told. It had not escaped the notice of one girl in particular that the maiden at the heart of the tale had been fashioned in her likeness, however, and her eyes followed Ciarán as he moved around the room, coming alongside his invisible brother and beckoning him discreetly towards the exit.

"Those get a little less subtle every time," Conri observed once they were alone.

"Only to you," Ciarán pointed out. "She's hearing every one for the first time."

"Well, at least your stories are always entertaining," Conri said, smiling indulgently. He didn't really mind his little brother's new hobby—it was interesting seeing the audience's reactions.

"I think I'll adapt _The Princess Bride_ next," Ciarán said offhandedly as they made their way into the forest.

Conri choked back a startled laugh.

"Fion as Humperdink?" he managed.

"Not for the Niamh-wooing tale," Ciarán corrected. "I'm doing it _this_ Loop, as a wedding present for Liadan and Bran. I'm sure they'll enjoy that."

Conri couldn't contain a laugh this time.

"You realise you're giving Yggdrasil ideas by doing this, don't you?" he said when he'd gotten his breath back.

"Don't you think Liadan and Bran would _like_ the _Princess Bride?_ " Ciarán asked, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"I somehow don't think they'd appreciate the mostly-dead-from-torture part."

"We haven't let that happen for aeons," Ciarán reminded him. "Besides, they got better in both instances." He frowned slightly. "I'm still trying to work out who should play Inigo Montoya. Gull is Fezzik—I've already decided that."

Conri shrugged.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "We can work that out later—we have time. It doesn't even have to be this Loop."

Ciarán nodded.

"You're right. I'll take my time over it—it's a new idea and I want to do it full justice."

They continued walking for a while, enjoying the pleasant, sweet-scented silence of the Sevenwaters Forest on a mild spring evening. Conri found himself thinking, not for the first time, that he was glad their Loop was so long and had so much downtime. Moments like this were precious.

* * *

## 2.6

Sorcha awoke, which surprised her enough that she was wide awake in a moment. She had not known quite what to expect from death, but waking in a bed with sunlight streaming in through her window was decidedly _not_ what she had anticipated.

She looked around the room through sleep-clouded eyes, and recognised, to her amazement, the chamber of her childhood, with its tapestry depicting owl and unicorn on the wall. This did not seem right at all.

Then memories came, vivid and full of happiness and innocence, as if they were recent. Memories of the time before the Lady Oonagh had entered their lives and torn their world asunder, before even Simon's capture.

But not so very long before. It was summer of that very year, or so her memories were telling her. But how could this be?

She sprang up, noting distractedly that she could move easily, without pain or weakness where her illness had eaten away at her vitals and robbed her of life. It seemed she truly was a girl of twelve in body, if not in mind.

She left her room and went in search of her brothers. Perhaps one of them would know what was going on.

The first she found was Diarmid, and a rush of emotion overwhelmed her at the sight of him. He looked so young, fresh-faced and smiling, in a way she had not seen him do for years before his own untimely death, and she ran to him, flinging her arms around him in the tightest hug she could muster.

"Sorcha, what—" he began, then faltered as the first sob escaped her. "What's the matter?" he asked instead. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Sorcha managed, her voice cracked with emotion and muffled by his tunic. "I—I love you _so_ much, Diarmid."

His voice had softened when he spoke again.

"I love you too, little sister, but this is unlike you. What's wrong?"

Sorcha scrambled to find an excuse. Clearly Diarmid did not know why she was here, and it was probably best that he didn't find out in this way.

"I—I had a bad dream." She loosened her grip and moved back, looking up into her brother's face. His brow was creased in a concerned frown. "Do you know where Finbar is?"

Diarmid shook his head.

"I haven't seen him all morning. You would know where to find him better than I."

Sorcha could think of at least a few places to try, including, if all else failed, the clearing in the forest where Finbar and Liadan had met.

"I need to find him," she said. "I have to talk to him about my dream."

Diarmid nodded, still looking concerned, and more than a little confused.

"All right," he said, "but if you need someone to talk to later, and you haven't found Finbar, I'll be here."

She hugged him again, more gently.

"Thank you," she said as she pulled away. "I've—" She caught herself before she told him how much she had missed him. He had no knowledge of the curse, or the Lady Oonagh, or the marks they had left on his spirit, and she did not want him to bear such burdens again.

* * *

As it happened, she didn't need to look for Finbar. Her feet carried her automatically to the stillroom, and upon seeing all her possessions, her salves and tinctures and essences all arranged as she had left them, she almost wept again, and was not sure if it was joy or sorrow that moved her. Beyond the outer door, her garden lay, untouched, the plants Oonagh had ordered destroyed awaiting her in all their summer splendour.

And sitting on the bench, also waiting for her, was Finbar, just as lively, just as free, with both arms and no shadows on his face or wildness in his eyes.

She ran to him, as she had to Diarmid, and hugged him so fiercely he gasped. His mind reached out to hers.

_Sorcha, are you all right?_

So great was her emotion that the memories spilled over before she could stop them. Flashes of things that were to come, and yet had already transpired. The Lady Oonagh; her brothers' transformation; the long years of silence and spinning and weaving and pain; the fire and its aftermath; the happier, and yet bittersweet, years that followed.

_I lived this, Finbar. I lived it all. And now I'm here, and none of it has happened yet, and I don't know what to do!_

Finbar was silent for a long moment.

 _I can't give you the answers you need,_ he said at last, _but I may know where you can go to find someone who can._

_Then you believe me?_

_I have no reason to doubt you, and no other explanation would make sense of what I saw in your mind just now. Besides, I know you keep no secrets from me, and there are things I knew, or had seen, that I never told you, and you would not have learned elsewhere._

A wave of relief swept through her.

_Do you remember too?_

He shook his head.

_I don't know what has happened to you, Sorcha. The singer will hopefully be able to answer your questions._

_The singer?_

_I don't know his name. His face isn't clear, but I hear his singing. And sometimes I see him as a raven. That's all I know, little sister. I've never met him before._

With that, Sorcha had to be content.

_Where should we go to meet him?_

_Father Brien's,_ Finbar told her.

Another pang of heartache mixed with disbelieving joy flashed through her, bringing tears to her eyes again.

 _I'd like to see him again,_ she sent.

Finbar did not question the tears. Father Brien's lifeless body had been among the flood of images she had shown him.

* * *

They took the short way up to the cave. Sorcha wasn't sure she could have managed the more adventurous path after so long, and this was not a journey she wanted to take much time over.

Father Brien was outside when they arrived, tending to the horse. He called a greeting, and Sorcha rushed to embrace him as she had her brothers.

"I missed you," she said as she let him go.

He raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.

"It has not been so long since we last saw one another," he observed.

"I know," Sorcha said, feeling the blood rise to her face and willing her voice to remain steady. "It's just that—I had a nightmare. All my brothers were gone, and so were you, and I was alone and afraid."

Father Brien's frown deepened, but he made no further comment.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Finbar told the hermit, diverting his attention. "Could we go inside?"

 _Go and sit under the rowans,_ he sent privately to Sorcha. _He'll meet you there. I'll join you later._

Sorcha did not argue.

The bench under the rowans was just as she remembered it. There was a serenity to the grove, but it did little to calm her nerves. She looked around herself, seeking any signs of someone else being there, but did not see any. As she sat down, however, there was a flutter of wings above her, and a raven flew down to alight on the bench beside her.

"Are you the singer?" she asked it, not expecting a response.

The raven ruffled its feathers, then abruptly shifted into a young man who appeared to be half-Briton, with disturbingly-familiar mulberry eyes. She drew a sharp breath and jerked away from him, opening her mouth to shriek a warning.

"Oh _no,_ " the young man said, face dropping into his hands. "It was my eyes, wasn't it? I'm sorry—I didn't mean to scare you."

Perhaps it was his chagrined expression, or that he seemed to truly mean what he said, but Sorcha relaxed a little.

"Are you the singer?" she repeated, uncertainty colouring her voice.

"Well, I sing, certainly. I'm a bard, and a spellsinger, but you don't know what that means."

"Do you know why I'm here?" she asked him, his manner making her bolder.

"That depends. Have you been here before?"

"This isn't the first time I've been twelve, if that's what you mean."

He nodded.

"Then yes, I know what is going on, and I can explain it to you. It will take a while, though. We may have to arrange several more meetings. My name's Conri, by the way. And before you ask the obvious, yes, I'm Oonagh's son. I don't always have her eyes, though—that's part of what I have to explain, so I'll get to it when it becomes relevant."

* * *

Sorcha was very quiet as Conri explained the Loops to her. He'd practised the story with Ciarán many times, and by now was sure he had a version new Loopers from his Branch would understand. The Tree from which all worlds hung was sick. The gods who tended the Tree had devoted themselves to keeping it alive and the worlds hanging from it stable. To do so, they had created the Loops. From there, he had explained the basics of the Loops, his own role as Anchor, and why he, of all people, had been chosen for the task, since he had expected her to ask such a question. They had, after all, never met in Baseline. Fiacha had only come to the forest directly after her death and she knew nothing of him. He therefore had to explain the part he had played in her family's story, a section she listened to with particular interest, as she received news of her family during the telling. The news was not always pleasant, and he watched her expression as he very gently explained events like Liam's death or what became of Niamh. Her pain was clear, but she did not weep. She just listened.

He was part-way through summarising Fainne's story when she held up a hand to stop him.

"Have you had to live through all this every time our world Loops?"

Conri shook his head.

"There is much that can be changed, much that can be prevented. Not all, but most of these events can be avoided."

"So you have saved my brothers before?"

"Many times."

"Can the curse be prevented?"

Conri sighed.

"Sometimes, yes. Other times I Awaken too late and must make do. I have worked out a number of ways to help you in your trial, so the work is done faster and you suffer far less."

A shadow passed across her face.

"There is much I would change, now that I have the chance to," she said quietly.

"I suspected as much," Conri said. "There are some things I can teach you in this Loop, and if you would like, I can prevent the curse from falling this time around. It wouldn't be wise for me to do this every Loop you're Awake in, though—sometimes even Anchors are replaced, and if I'm not here, you'll have to make the best of things yourself. You'll gain skills from other Loops, just as I have, but that takes time. Fortunately, that is not a resource we're ever likely to run out of."

That last comment brought a small smile to her face.

"That's some comfort, at least," she said.

Conri glanced up at the sky, and winced slightly.

"Speaking of drawing attention, we might have to leave things there for today. Finbar will come looking for you soon."

As if on cue, Finbar stepped into the clearing, and approached them with purpose. It took Conri a moment to notice the uncharacteristic blankness of his expression.

"Something's wrong!" Sorcha whispered in the same instant. "I can't touch his mind at all—is this a Variant?"

"No, child." Finbar's lips moved, but the voice that came out was not his. In fact, Conri was sure that it was female. "We deemed it best to make our first contact more subtle than most," said the entity currently using Finbar as a conduit. "It was not our intent to cause alarm."

"Then this hasn't happened before?"

"No," Conri said, not sure Sorcha was addressing him, but answering for them both.

"I did not think it was necessary to reach out before this Loop," said the entity. "We do not often speak if we have nothing of note to say."

"And who _are_ you, exactly?" Conri asked.

The entity's response was level and matter-of-fact.

"I am the Morrigan. We are the Admin of this Branch. We are three, and I am one."

"You're the goddess of death," Sorcha said.

"Death, and war, and _prophecy,_ among other things," the Morrigan responded. "Above all, however, we are _Irish._ " A thin smile curved Finbar's lips. "I also won a game of cards against some of the others, but that is by the by now."

Conri decided not to give that last comment too much thought.

"What is the important thing you wanted to tell us?"

"There were two points I wished to discuss," the Morrigan told him. "The first will be of interest to both of you." She glanced toward Sorcha. "How much have you told her about your backup?"

"That it exists. I was trying to get the most important information across in this first meeting."

"How much does she know of Baseline?"

"Most of the first half," Conri responded.

"Very well." The Morrigan regarded Sorcha levelly. "For now, it is enough to tell you that your daughter Liadan, and your granddaughter Fainne, had as much importance in the backup as you did, but were more likely to Activate simply due to their links with Conri. He shifted that balance when he chose to intervene on your behalf so often. I heard him explaining that much."

"So that _did_ help?" Conri felt a thrill of elation. "Will this work for others?"

"If you are persistent, yes. The bond with other Loopers will help as well, but it is a close tie with you that will speed their Activation." A small smile formed on the Morrigan's lips as she continued. "You will not need to trouble yourself about Liadan or Fainne, however. Their Activation notices came in when Sorcha's did. I made the necessary adjustments to have their Activations in separate Loops, but those Loops will not be especially far apart. I recommend having shadow clones or Active Loopers on the alert for signs of unusual behaviour from either of them."

Conri's elation grew more pronounced.

" _Both_ of them?"

"Just so," the Morrigan agreed, and there was a note of warmth in her voice now.

"I take it this is good news," Sorcha observed.

"I've gone from having only one other Looper to _four._ This is the best news I've had in centuries!"

"There is more we wish to tell you," the Morrigan said, sobering again. "You have noticed your physical appearance is not stable."

It wasn't a question, but Conri nodded.

"Your backup did not give us a full description of you, nor did it address your paternity. This has left your physical appearance in flux. However, it also presented an opportunity I have now availed myself of. You had a Briton father this Loop, as I am sure you have noticed."

"I did notice that, yes. I've had to keep out of sight in most places as a result."

The Morrigan's voice gained an almost musical quality.

"You have been of Erin and of Britain, and also neither. You bear the Mark of the Raven, and have won many victories over your time as Anchor of this Branch."

Conri took a moment to determine her meaning.

"Is that enough?" he breathed. "Will it count in future Loops?"

"I'm your Admin, and the Goddess of Prophecy. I've _made_ it count. I know you will still want Fainne to be born, but in cases where she cannot, for whatever reason, or you simply wish to allow her to have time with her family, you can take her place in the Needle."

"I was wondering how we could get around that," Conri murmured, marveling at the cleverness of this solution.

"I do not like having such an instability in a Branch I'm responsible for," said the Morrigan. "I may allow others to fulfill the requirements in time. It may be as simple as them Replacing you for a Loop. Or I could tweak the code to accept my Admin status giving _all_ my Loopers the Mark of the Raven and leave everything else to the Tree. I will need to discuss with my fellow Admins whether that second solution can be arranged."

"I think Fainne would appreciate that," Conri said, unable to keep the smile from his face. "Thank you so, _so_ much."

"You are welcome," the Morrigan said. She turned toward the treeline. "We will not do this often," she added. "I do not expect to have such important messages for you very frequently, and I certainly will not use Finbar in such a fashion after his Awakening."

Then she stepped into the trees, and a moment later, there was the sound of someone stumbling slightly.

"He's back," Sorcha breathed, looking and sounding relieved.

"We'd best not tell him what just happened," Conri told her in a murmur. "I should go for now. Where should I meet you next?"

"My garden should be private enough for now. I'll be there tomorrow." There was a glint in her eyes. "Clearly, we still have a great deal to talk about."

Conri nodded, then shifted back into raven form and flew up into one of the rowans again. He waited until Finbar returned, and he and Sorcha left together, before taking his own leave of the grove. He had much to think on, and to prepare for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2.1: Here's Ciarán! And of course he goes straight into Bestest Brother mode.
> 
> 2.2: This time, Sevenwaters is hosting. And oh look, here's another Variant of Sevenwaters specific to them! Also, I never thought I'd say this, but you've gotta feel a teensy bit sorry for Oonagh. Sirius _and_ the Weasley twins? I wouldn't wanna be her in this Loop—not for anything.
> 
> 2.3: Dresden Files Loops are always written in First-Person and from Harry's POV, like the books. As the current sole author of the Sevenwaters Loops, I decided to not do First-Person for them, as I am far more used to Third-Limited. I think I did okay for this one, though.
> 
> 2.4: Ciarán discovers the reason for the odd Variants! Similar fairy tales!
> 
> 2.5: In which Ciarán begins adapting stories from outside his universe to entertain the locals. Also, since I watched _Princess Bride_ after reading _Son of the Shadows,_ the movie gave me strong Bran/Liadan vibes rather than the other way round. Still fits pretty well, though.
> 
> 2.6: Sorcha's here! Yay! I has _plans_ for her and they gonna be _FUUUUN._  
>  Also, here's the Sevenwaters Admin! The Morrigan's method of communicating is a bit unusual—Admins most often create an in-Loop avatar to communicate through, but she/they decided to borrow the body of the local seer. This communication will not go both ways.  
> And here's the explanation I promised about Conri's ever-changing face! His physical appearance is glitched because the backup doesn't tell us about it! ~~Curse you, Juliet! You didn't tell us what Conri looked like!~~


End file.
